Finding right pill

Hi,

I have had a lot of difficulty finding the right hormonal pill for birth control and I'm wondering if you have any advice. When I gave birth to my daughter, I was nursing so I tried micronor but I got my period the week I went to the mikva. Then I switched to ortho tri-cyclen lo, which my doctor recommended but I got my period about a week too early. Then a friend of mine suggested I try yasmin but I also get my period a few days early (although not as bad as the ortho tri cyclen lo) and I get very nauseous and headaches. Not to mention, extremely moody and anxious. I was throwing up and moody the whole time I was pregnant and at this point, I think it's a shalom bayis issue to find a way to be normal again.

My doctor suggested I try ortho tri cyclen high because she thinks I need more hormone to regulate my cycle but I'm concerned that that will make me even more moody.

Is there any pill that you can recommend that is sold in Israel and that won't make me ill and that also regulate my period well (and not make me so irritable)?

thank you so much.

Dear questioner,

Thank you for your question.

It often takes the body a few cycles to get used to a new hormonal milieu. 40-70% of women have breakthrough bleeding the first month of progesterone only pills such as micronor. 10-30% of women have breakthrough bleeding the first month of combination pills such as the others you have mentioned.  Over half of these cases improve by the next cycle.

From what you wrote, it seems that you have taken each formulation for only one month. We would suggest taking one type of pill and sticking with it for two full cycles.  You appear to have had fewer side effects with the ortho tri cyclen lo, so it would make sense to start with that. Please also review our article on ketamim (staining) so you do not consider yourself niddah when not halachically required to do so.

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